Drum Sticks for New Students

Hollywood Jim

Platinum Member
Many years ago I used to teach beginning drum students. They were all adults.
Next week I will be giving my grandson his first drum lesson. He is 7 years old.

Question: Should I cut down the drum stick for him so that it is not so long?
Like make it 2 inches shorter. I am going to use a pair of 7A's standard length sticks.

.
 
Vic makes those pink and blue ones, but for a 7 year old regular sticks might be fine.

I don't really subscribe to the idea of thinner sticks for young hands. Quite the opposite in most cases. The Jojo Mayer stick has a comfy diameter and is shorter.

For a while I used to give students regular AM 5A, but I came across the TAMA 5A-F with flame graphics, recommended by another teacher.

I also rember a young girl I was teaching who had lost her sticks, so I gave her a pair of the Colaiuta Signatures I use(basically a 5B with a bit more shoulder) and she definetly found that more comfortable to hold. That's the main deal IMO. It's not like we're learning fancy finger techniques or looking for that perfect acoustic trio ride sound. It's all about comfort.

Thin sticks are easy to grip too hard. There's sometimes this idea that lighter sticks to begin with is a good idea, but really, why?
 
Go with a 5A or get a pair of vic firth SD 1 general Jr's. they are made for kids.

7A is a difficult stick to learn with.
 
I've never started young students with small sticks, but I've also never seriously taught a seven year old. I guess you could try some VF SD-4 Combos. They're about the size of a 7A, but shorter, and made of maple.
 
Many years ago I used to teach beginning drum students. They were all adults.
Next week I will be giving my grandson his first drum lesson. He is 7 years old.

Question: Should I cut down the drum stick for him so that it is not so long?
Like make it 2 inches shorter. I am going to use a pair of 7A's standard length sticks.

.
If younger trumpet players start out on smaller horns ,I see no reason why smaller lighter sticks should not be the norm for smaller hands.
 
If younger trumpet players start out on smaller horns ,I see no reason why smaller lighter sticks should not be the norm for smaller hands.

Not really the same thing.

This would equate to a lower throne, smaller diameter snare, smaller kit in general which offcourse makes perfect sense. I never give an 8 yo a full size guitar, same with any instrument.

When it comes to sticks I'd think more in the direction of the types of pencils you get in 1st grade. Shorter length might be a good thing, small diameter, not really. For the same reason.

Edit: I have taught a bunch og 7 and 8 year olds.
 
Last edited:
Not really the same thing.

This would equate to a lower throne, smaller diameter snare, smaller kit in general which offcourse makes perfect sense. I never give an 8 yo a full size guitar, same with any instrument.

When it comes to sticks I'd think more in the direction of the types of pencils you get in 1st grade. Shorter length might be a good thing, small diameter, not really. For the same reason.

Had many friends that started out on coronet because of physical limitations and grew into trumpet.
I see no difference in drumsticks.
Have you ever picked up a Phil Collins drumstick?
That man must have awfully small hands.
In fact I would recommend it for the smaller player.
 
When it comes to sticks I'd think more in the direction of the types of pencils you get in 1st grade. Shorter length might be a good thing, small diameter, not really. For the same reason.

Good point !
I think I'll try a larger, maybe a little shorter stick.


.
 
I wouldn't cut an existing stick.

I think most 15" sticks will be fine.
 
better to start them out with sticks a bit bigger

I always start set students with 5B and snare drum students with SD1

they will respond more ... which is important when learning to control a rebound

the 7A is not going to give back nearly as much as something a bit bigger

the more the stick works for them the more they will understand how to control it
 
My drum teacher from childhood started everyone off with Regal Tip Rock sticks - which are 16".
 
better to start them out with sticks a bit bigger

I always start set students with 5B and snare drum students with SD1

they will respond more ... which is important when learning to control a rebound

the 7A is not going to give back nearly as much as something a bit bigger

the more the stick works for them the more they will understand how to control it
To each his own ,I started out on 5a's when I was 14
Then gradually moved to other sized sticks.
The real shock was moving to a Ludwig 3s for marching band. .
Now that took some getting used to.
 
I used 5a since I wore a 6X.
we had 7a in the house, but I remember them feeling much too small.

It's weird but I feel like my memory tells me sticks were lighter many years ago.
 
I started when I was maybe 10 years old, and I started with 2B sticks. If he's just starting, he shouldn't be playing a kit anyways, probably just snare (I'm assuming), and 2B sticks should feel comfortable in smaller hands and will help him learn his rudiments.

I wouldn't move to 7As until his technique has developed.

Also, I wouldn't think you'd want to cut sticks down, it will affect how they are weighted, which may encourage some bad technique. You don't want him to get used to the lack of rebound on cut sticks and then have to re-learn his technique on whole sticks.

Go with the 2Bs, and if there's an issue, maybe try some of the SD4 or SD1 from VF.
 
I always thought 5As were the most middle of the road sticks, but probably because that's what someone told me when I first started. Wasn't long before I went to 5B and 2Bs so I can definitely see that logic - kinda like Duplo vs Lego.

I'm back to either 5A and 7A now. I agree, though; kid's hands would do better with bigger, not smaller.
 
OK thanks guys. I'll go with a 2B or something close to that.


.
 
Back
Top